State Department Issues Warning to Americans Traveling to Iran

The State Department issued a warning to US travelers heading to Iran. Basically, they said to try and postpone the trip if possible, because Iran is purposefully detaining Americans, especially those with dual citizenship in Iran and western countries.

This is sparking a huge reaction. Almost all Republicans united in their dislike for the Iran Deal, which lifts economic sanctions and immediately opens up millions of dollars for the country. One of the reasons for these sanctions was to curtail Iran’s nuclear plan. The country has promised, however, to suspend their nuclear program in exchange for the sanctions to be dropped. Many Republicans say the United States has been fooled. They think Iran will revive their economy, then throw the deal out the window as they have the money they need to build a nuclear weapon. A similar situation happened in North Korea under President Bush, and we see the results.

But on top of this, the Wall Street Journal reported that a plane brought 400 million to Iran days after American hostages were released. This has created an uproar. The United States does not pay ransoms, and this seems like a ransom. President Obama insisted it was a payment-but it seems too convenient that the transaction transpired when the hostages were released.

So now, people point this ransom payment as incentive for Iran to detain more Americans, and create the need for more ransom payments.

While President Obama’s diplomatic actions in Iran sound good on paper, the reality is more uncertain. The Republicans in Congress, in particular, are very upset about the Iran Deal, and the results. They are further upset about this mystery payment, and now, the State Department’s warning.

But on the positive side, this is an issue that the party can agree on.